Career Advice
by numbah 1 HPFan
Summary: It's that time of the year again. Potter is cocky, Black doesn't take anything seriously, Lupin has low self-confidence, McIntosh is stuck somewhere in the middle and Pettigrew should settle for janitorial work. But what's a head of house to do?
1. Chapter 1

Career Advice

Chapter 1: James

** I disclaim anything that is recognized as being owned/published by JK Rowling.**

**Alright, so as I was writing for my AU series I was struck by the thought of what McGonagall may have gone through while giving career advice to the Marauders. This mini story will include the canon characters in addition to some of the ones from my AU, but I don't think anyone will have a problem keeping up. Enjoy!**

_This entire story will be from McGonagall's POV._

It was that time of the year again. OWLs were fast approaching and while normally I looked forward to the majority of my one on one sessions with the Gryffindors, this year I was seriously considering making Albus handle them. And who could blame me for that?

I shuffled the papers on my desk in irritation, hoping for a distraction to come and force me to postpone my meeting with Potter. This wasn't the meeting I was dreading most, but it was certainly in the top three. Black and Pettigrew were up there as well. Lupin, on the other hand, would control himself; he was probably the most serious out of the five of them. McIntosh, however, I was on the fence about. On the one hand, she was Potter's foster sister and Black's girlfriend. On the other, she maintained a good friendship with Evans and Jones. Still, she wasn't as reserved as Lupin…

I sighed and looked down at my watch. Of course Potter was late, what else did I expect?

I was seriously considering going and looking for him when there was a loud pounding on my door followed by it opening to reveal Potter. He was breathless, covered in a mixture of mud and sweat and wearing his Quidditch gear, clutching his broom tightly in one hand.

"Sorry I'm late, Mickey!" he chirped, shutting the door behind him and coming forward to sit down. I winced as his feet squelched against the floor just before he took a seat.

"How many times must I tell you not to call me that, Potter?" I asked, suppressing the urge to roll my eyes.

He didn't answer me as he grinned widely, wiping his forehead with the back of his muddied uniform. It did more harm than good.

"So, Mr. Potter, we are here to discuss what career you think you may wish to pursue after Hogwarts," I began, choosing to ignore his appearance for the time being. At least I knew he was practicing hard. "This decision is, in some ways, based upon the outcomes of your OWL examinations and—" I paused as he raised his hand. "What is it, Potter?"

"I already know what I want to do," he replied, keeping his hand in the air. "I want to be an Auror, like my dad."

I entertained myself for a moment imagining Potter running around in charge of protecting the people of the wizarding world. The image terrified me.

"Very well, Potter," I said aloud, looking down to skim through his grades. Miracles had happened before, after all. "You will need to get OWLs in Transfiguration, which I am sure you will be able to do after that last essay you did on Vanishing," he beamed at me and finally lowered his hand. "You will also need DADA, and I believe you may be the top of the class in that course, your current professor certainly has no complaints."

"What about Charms? I know I have somewhere between an E and an A right now I think…" he asked, fidgeting in his seat for a moment.

"No, Potter, you have an E right now. But it would certainly do you no harm to add in a little extra effort there. However, your Potions grades leave something to be desired."

"Potions? What good are potions in the field? I won't have time to sit and brew something!" he protested, flinging his hand out to gesticulate.

"As an Auror you will need to be able to recognize common poisons and be aware of the antidotes necessary to treat some of the simpler ailments," I answered patiently.

"C'mon, Mickey, that's what Healers are for!" he groaned.

"Potter, don't make me give you a detention."

"Sorry, Professor, but I mean it!"

"Come now, Potter, Potions cannot be that difficult for you," I replied, glancing down at the file Horace had given me. Then I looked at it a bit harder. "Or perhaps it is…"

"Told you so," he retorted, crossing his arms and beginning to sulk.

"Potter, how on earth are you able to prank so adeptly and yet fail so miserably at Potions?" I asked before I had time to think better of the question.

"Moony," he answered promptly. "Sometimes Padfoot pitches in too. Me, Wormy and Blacktip are forbidden to go near the cauldrons though."

"I'll assume that 'Moony' is in reference to Mr. Lupin," I said stonily. On the one hand, it was good that Lupin had friends, on the other… "How did you come up with the other names?"

"Padfoot is Sirius; his feet sound like they're padded when he walks barefoot across tile," he replied with a shrug. "Ask Keena, we didn't get it either but it stuck. Wormy is short for Wormtail which is Peter; did you know he's afraid of worms? He doesn't like how both ends look like the tail." Somehow this information didn't surprise me. "Blacktip is Keena, obviously, because…" he paused and frowned.

I raised an eyebrow at him as he sat frowning at his hands.

"Don't you recall?"

"Actually no," he replied looking up at me with a confused expression. "We probably came up with it first year…oh, that's right! The black part came from her being blind. Don't know where the second half of her name came from, other than we couldn't just call her Black—too confusing considering how many of them there are at Hogwarts."

"I see," I answered. I had no idea what he was talking about; those nicknames were all ridiculous.

"Anyway, that's how we get the potions done right," he concluded, bringing us back on topic. "But how am I supposed to bring my Potions up to an…A?" he suggested hopefully.

"An E, actually," I corrected, feeling a headache coming on.

"Merlin's bloody—er, boots?" he caught himself as I presented him with one of my very best stern looks. He sighed and shook his head. "What happens if I can't do it? I don't think I'm cut out for anything else, Professor."

I was taken aback for a moment by how sincere he was being. Was this really Potter?

"I'm sure you will manage, Potter. In the meantime, place an increased effort towards Potions and study carefully."

"And if that still doesn't work?"

"Occasionally the Auror Program will make exceptions. Maintain higher grades in all other subject areas and stop that foolish pranking business and you should be fine."

"You don't think they'd be impressed with my creativity?" he asked, winking at me.

"No, I don't."

"Dumbledore thinks we're funny."

"Which likely accounts for why he is not in charge of the Auror Unit," I said dryly. "I don't suppose your father has ever introduced you to the likes of Alastor Moody?"

He winced. At least I was getting through to him.

"I don't s'pose you could maybe stop making records of everything else that may or may not happen in the next two years?"

"If you behave yourself I don't see that it will be a problem," I replied, keeping the cat-like smile that wanted to escape from showing on my face. Whoever said Gryffindors couldn't manipulate just as well as a Slytherin?

"Mickey, it's like you don't know me at all," he answered, shaking his head at me.

I presented him with one of my best glares. He returned an overly bright smile at me before bolting from my office as I opened my mouth to issue him a detention. The door shut with a snap, leaving me alone in my office for a moment. The image of Potter dressed in his Quidditch uniform rescuing a band of first years returned to my thoughts.

I brought my hand to my forehead and just barely contained a groan.

After a brief moment to compose myself, I made a few notations in his records and checked him off of my list of Gryffindor fifth years before reading through it. Lupin had signed up for the next slot, which I feared regretting since it took away something to look forward to for after Black's meeting, which wouldn't take place until after Pettigrew's turn. McIntosh would follow Black, which may or may not end up being my salvation. The girl already had a good resume on her side by dint of going through Hogwarts blind for four years, something the Ministry had already approached Albus about. Apparently they had wanted to use her for some experiment or other while she was still blind. Albus had told the Minister no before the suggestion had even fully crossed his lips and, without pause, had returned to our discussion about what to do for his brother's birthday.

I shook my head and returned to reading the list. Evans would follow McIntosh and then Dale, Jones and lastly Riggs. I frowned at the list for a moment, wondering how the boys had managed to get ahead of all of the girls before shrugging. It didn't matter.

So, Potter wanted to be an Auror. That meant that Black wanted to be one too. Lupin, I knew, wasn't expecting more than a librarian job. Pettigrew shouldn't expect more than a library _cleaning_ job. McIntosh shouldn't do anything involving a cauldron, though she was quite good at Transfiguration and her essays, and some of the pranks she partook in with her foster brother and hooligan friends, indicated an interest in experimenting with spells. Evans showed a similar interest in Potions and Horace often raved about her, lamenting that she wasn't in his house.

Riggs and Dale wouldn't do well at any sort of indoor desk job, having interests lying in Herbology and Astronomy respectively. Unfortunately I had no idea what that would leave either girl with. Jones, though, was very interested in Care of Magical Creatures, and I knew that Professor Kettleburn often had her come down to assist him with injured animals. I made a mental note to suggest Healing to her as a profession.

I shook my head once more before turning back to the signup sheet in front of me.

"One down, eight to go…" I muttered to myself. This was going to be a long week.

**I hope you liked this and will come back for the next few chapters! **

**:-D**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Remus

**I disclaim all that is recognized as famous. **

**Enjoy!**

A quiet, unassuming knock sounded and I checked the clock that sat on my desk. Lupin was exactly two minutes early for his session. Setting aside the batch of fourth year essays that I had been grading, I called for him to enter.

He opened the door and offered a greeting, shutting it behind him and coming forward to take a seat in front of me. The full moon had gone by this past week and it was easy to tell. The poor boy was pale and thin as usual, but he also had a few extra cuts on the side of his neck and some bruises on the backs of his hands.

"Professor, I know that this meeting is mandatory, but do you really think it's necessary for me?" he asked, sounding bitter beneath the politeness.

"Mr. Lupin, it is completely necessary. Your grades are exemplary and your record is mostly clear," I stated firmly, pulling out his folder. "You have been doing well as prefect and you are the only student in the entire castle who has an O in History of Magic."

"Yeah but none of that matters to anyone; I'm…" he stopped and looked away.

"A hard worker, Mr. Lupin," I finished. "Now, what is it that you would like to do?"

"It doesn't matter; they would never take me on," he mumbled under his breath, still not looking at me.

"Let's assume that your condition is not a factor. What would you like to do?" I repeated.

"I think I might like…Merlin, Professor, I dunno, I can't think that way," he sighed, shaking his head. "I need to accept the way it is and move forward with it. That's all there is to it."

I stared at him for a moment, staying quiet long enough that he looked up at me. He had bags under his eyes and a faint scar crossing his face. Lupin was not my first encounter with a werewolf, but he was the first one to have broken out of the stereotype. He had friends, a family, and he was as healthy as he could be for the moment. His temperament was kind, quiet and his grades were the best in the school. Why should he be punished for what he becomes once a month? Something that was placed on him, not something this young man would ever choose.

"Mr. Lupin, are you a Gryffindor?" I asked, turning my anger into conviction.

"Yes, Professor," he replied warily.

"That means that you have courage. You have bravery. Your grades reflect the ideal Ravenclaw and your temperament reeks of Hufflepuff pride. Now, let your courage show and fight for the life that you deserve. You have worked hard all five years, have you not?" he nodded timidly. "Then you have earned the right to choose your own career path. Now, tell me, what is it that you truly want to do after you leave this school?"

"Do you really think people will overlook what I am?"

This low self-esteem had clearly been growing for years. The boy obviously didn't talk about this with his friends. He probably did not want to burden his parents; Albus had mentioned that his mother, a muggle, was ill.

_We need to get some type of guidance system in place at this school…_

I sighed; that would be a battle for another day.

"Not everyone will, but there are those who will if you show what you are capable of," I replied frankly. I did need to be practical after all. "And you are capable of quite a bit, Mr. Lupin."

"If I had the chance then I would…I would…"

I waited patiently for him to answer. I had a feeling that he rarely thought about what sort of career and life it was that he actually wanted.

"I like looking at how magic works," he said finally. "I like seeing how spells are made and how they interact with each other. And working out how and why some wizards are better and stronger than others. But I don't really know how that would make any sort of job."

"You want to research how magic works?" I repeated, looking through some of the brochures that I had on my desk. I had just read something on this the other day…"Here is something," I plucked one of the brochures from the pile and handed it to him. "It's an independent researching group located in Wales. They take only a few applicants, but your Charms grade is a very high E and you're on the same level with your Ancient Runes course, which is something I believe they require."

"Professor, it says that they want an O student from Potions," he said, looking up with worry lines covering his face. "I only have an E."

"Is that so?" I replied, looking at his grades again. I looked carefully at his grades for individual potions as well as class participation. My mouth curved into a stern frown before I could stop it. "I will speak to Professor Slughorn about this, Mr. Lupin, and Professor Dumbledore too if I must. Getting an O in Potions should be no problem for you. How does the rest of it look to you?"

He looked through the brochure for a few moments, beginning to nod his head.

"This looks like something I could easily do…if they don't mind me taking a few days every month," the bitterness had returned to his voice. "What if they want to look at how the full moon affects magic?"

"Do you think it might be a problem?" I asked, focusing more on what I was going to do to Horace if he failed to cooperate.

"I mean there must be a reason why lycanthropy happens only when the moon is full, hasn't there?" he reasoned.

I smiled at him.

"Perhaps you shall be the one to discover it, Mr. Lupin. Now, unless you have any questions, I have some business I would like to attend to," _Specifically, the business of why Horace Slughorn is not giving you the appropriate grade in Potions…_

He smiled in reply, thanked me and left the office.

I checked him off of the signup sheet and stood up and locked my office behind me, taking Lupin's grade folder with me.

I marched down the hallway, deciding at the last minute that I was going to go straight to Albus instead. If Horace was going to be reasonable, this conversation would not have been needed in the first place.

"Sugar Quill," I stated crisply as I approached the gargoyle.

It leapt aside and I headed up the stairs, not bothering to wait for them to rotate upwards like I normally did. I rapped on the door sharply and was bid to enter. Albus sat behind his desk, looking something over.

"What may I help you with, Minerva?" he asked, gesturing for me to sit with a sweep of his hand.

"It's about Lupin, Albus," I replied, laying the grade book in front of him, open to the Potions page. "I've just had his career advice meeting. It took me quite a bit of time, but I finally got him to admit that there was something that he would like to do. You and I both know that in order for him to succeed anywhere he will need to have the very best grades possible."

"Mr. Lupin has a wonderful academic record," Albus pointed out, looking over the page.

"Yes, but do you see the discrepancy?" I asked, gesturing to the page that was messy with Horace's handwriting. "He has points taken off for foolish little things. Do you see how one essay was marked down because his name was written on a slant?"

Albus sighed.

"The boy deserves an O, Albus, and he needs one in order to gain admittance into this program that he is now interested in. Horace is allowing his prejudices to get in the way. It is unprofessional behavior and you need to stop it."

"Have you spoken to Horace about this?" he asked instead of agreeing with me.

"I shouldn't have to; you made it very clear to all of us who were made aware of the situation when Mr. Lupin began schooling here that—"

"Horace may be unaware of this behavior."

"He is differentiating where it is unnecessary," I snapped, giving Albus a look.

"I will speak with Horace, Minerva, but I cannot promise that he will change his ways. You remember how he reacted when Ms. McIntosh first began here, how you reacted as well as a matter of fact."

"That was different, Albus, the girl was blind! Mr. Lupin's condition does not impact how well he is able to learn or how well his is able to perform in the Potions room!"

"I will speak with Horace," he repeated. "Do not think that I disagree with you Minerva, but this prejudice has deep roots in wizarding society and I cannot easily over rule what our earliest teachings have taught us."

"I expect results, Albus," I warned severely, standing up and leaving the office without further ado.

What did it say about me that I believed Potter's session had gone much better than Lupin's? _Only that you're being realistic_…

What did it say about me that I was even more afraid of what Pettigrew's would reveal?

I neglected to answer myself.

**And so ends chapter two! Next up is Peter! See you then!**

**:-D**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Peter

**I disclaim all that is recognized as being famous.**

**Enjoy!**

"How can these be real?" I muttered to myself, flipping through Pettigrew's file. Again.

He was barely surviving any of his courses at this point. By some miracle, he had done well in at least two exams or essays given in each of his classes, but by well I mean he scored Acceptable at most. He was even struggling in Divination. How was that even possible?

I looked up at the clock and saw that he was already five minutes late.

_Calm, Minerva, Potter was late as well…_

Potter was on the Quidditch team, his lateness, while not appreciated, was acceptable.

He was now ten minutes late.

_He may have gotten lost…again…_

A first year getting lost, while aggravating, was normal. A fifth year getting lost was unheard of. Pettigrew managed to do so at least once a week, or so he claimed. I had a nagging suspicion that he only got lost while trying to take secret passages that I _knew_ Potter and Black used on a daily basis to wreck havoc.

Fifteen minutes late.

I was beginning to think that he had forgotten completely about the meeting. I had now gone over his file twelve times and noticed the pattern. He would be failing his course through to the end of the year when he would suddenly receive a grade that allowed him to move on towards the next year. This meant one of two things; he either was holding back on every single one of his professors or his friends realized he was having trouble and helped him cram the night before. I was leaning towards the latter.

Twenty minutes late.

This session was proving to be far more productive than I thought it would be. I was now in the middle of grading third year pre-tests that were meant to prepare them for their final examinations. Most of them were receiving E's, which was a much higher average than usual for third year.

Thirty minutes late.

The third year pre-tests were almost finished now. Three students had received O's so far and only a few had gotten below an A, which was almost unheard of in my classes. Either I was growing soft or these students were above normal. I was hoping it was the latter.

Forty-five minutes late.

I sighed as I finished the last of the third year pre-tests. Overall, they had impressed me. Quite the opposite of how Mr. Pettigrew was doing, as a matter of fact. I glanced down at his record. He was almost sixteen years old and yet he couldn't make it on time to a session that should take less than fifteen minutes of his time?

Finally, a knock sounded on my door. I looked at my clock. He was fifty-seven minutes late for this meeting. If I hadn't gotten so much of my grading done I would be beyond livid at the moment. As it was, I was fuming.

"Come in," I ordered coldly.

The door opened slowly and Pettigrew peeked through the crack.

"In, Pettigrew, in," I called, waving him onward. "Sit down," I ordered when he simply stood standing in front of me. "You are aware that you are nearly an hour late, aren't you Pettigrew?"

"Yes, Professor, I'm sorry, I-I—"

"You are aware that being late for this type of meeting in the real world would mean that you would not have the slightest chance of getting whatever job it is that you were seeking, I assume," I went on, ignoring his apology. "Do try to remember that, won't you?"

"Yes, Professor, I will," he mumbled, looking down at his pudgy hands.

"Now, I have had plenty of time to review your records from all five years here at Hogwarts and, frankly, I am astonished that you have not had to repeat a year. You need to apply yourself, Mr. Pettigrew, there are precious few jobs that require no OWLs or NEWTs at all. What is it that you're interested in doing?"

"I, well I thought maybe I could do something with the DMLE?" he suggested.

I sighed, feeling pity more than anger at the moment.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Pettigrew, but with the way your grades are currently that is out of the question. You would need at least an E in DADA and you currently have a high P, one more point and you will have an A," I added when his face fell.

"I'll never be good enough for any job, will I, Professor?" he asked bluntly, still looking at his hands.

"You certainly will not with that attitude," I replied sternly. "You still have time to achieve the appropriate OWLs to continue on in Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Transfiguration," and how that was I had _no_ idea, "as well as Herbology and Astronomy."

"What good are any of those going to be? Aside from Transfiguration those are all easy classes. Besides, Divination is so easy, I'm only getting an A because I forget the homework half the time," he pointed out, shaking his head. "I might as well just leave Hogwarts when I turn seventeen!"

I thought back to his sorting. The hat had begun to yell out 'Slytherin,' but Pettigrew had stopped it. Even though it was only a hat, he had been brave.

"Mr. Pettigrew, are you a Gryffindor?" I asked, wondering why I was going to use this speech a second time. Lupin and Pettigrew were very different students.

He nodded at me, frowning a little.

"Then you are not going to give up, which would be the cowardly thing to do. You were made into a Gryffindor for a reason, Pettigrew, now start behaving like one," I said with a tone that ended any possibility of an argument. "I want you to look at some of these brochures," I ordered, picking through a few of them and holding them out to him. "They all require an E from the OWL in the subjects that I brought up, but I have confidence that you will be able to achieve that in at least some of these courses. Not all of them require more than an A in the NEWT level. Take a look, you may find something…of…" I trailed off as the sound of a muffled explosion boomed throughout the castle.

"Thank you, Professor," he said nervously, reaching forward to take the brochures.

I brought them back towards me.

"_Why_ were you an hour late?" I demanded, giving him a stern look.

He gulped. Then he caved.

I slammed the brochures down on my desk and told him to wait in my office.

When I reached the source of the explosion (the corridor that lead to the library) I found what I was expecting. There were several students, mostly Slytherins, who were staring at one another in shock. As I came closer, I saw that each of their faces had the nose of either a pig, a bird or, in one or two unfortunate cases, a boarhound. All of them were a strange rust-color. They were surrounded by a fading magenta haze and a crowd of laughing classmates. Madame Pince was trying desperately to get them to go away. I shook my head and left her to it, turning on my heel to head into the library.

Following the sound of sniggering, I came upon a group of students 'studying' in the back corner. There was only one reason there would be students hiding away from the prank but still finding it funny.

"Potter, Black, Lupin and McIntosh, follow me," I ordered once I was near enough that I would not need to shout.

Potter and Black looked up at me with innocent expressions. Lupin ducked his head in embarrassment. McIntosh simply shrugged and began packing her things away.

**Can't have a story about the Marauders without a prank now, can we? Next up is Sirius! Hope you liked it. **

**:-D**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Sirius

**Disclaiming anything that is recognized as famous.**

**Thanks for the Reviews! Enjoy!**

I had been dreading this day for the past four years, ever since Black had first come into my classroom. Potter was a terror just as bad, yes, but he was much less prone to violence when retaliating. Or should I say, whenever the group planned a revenge scheme, Black claimed leadership. He was a loose bludger, to put it mildly.

I took a deep breath as I pulled his file towards me.

His grades were respectable, on par with Potter's, though slightly below McIntosh and even further beneath Lupin. He was miles above Pettigrew, of course. I noted with some surprise that Black was doing the best in Charms out of all nine of my Gryffindor fifth years. I thought back to their latest prank and my surprise diminished.

A knock on my door sounded and I glanced at my clock. He was two minutes late. Better than Potter, but not quite as good as Lupin. I called for him to enter and prepared myself one last time.

He opened the door and sauntered forward before flopping down in the chair in front of my desk, positioning himself so that he was comfortable.

"So, Mickey, I was thinking," he stated before I could even open my mouth. "Since I'm already here, why don't we count this as a part of that detention you planned for us?"

"Nice try, Mr. Black, but no," I replied, shutting the door with a wave of my wand. "This meeting is not a punishment."

"It's not?"

"Mr. Black, do try to act your age and not your shoe size for the next fifteen minutes or so, won't you?" I requested, pinching the bridge of my nose for a moment before looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"Are you saying I act like a first year, Mickey? That's not very nice," he answered, shaking his head. "I'm a size eleven," he added when I raised my eyebrow.

"My apologies," I stated, noticing the gratified expression on his face. "I meant to say stop acting like a seven year old."

"Why, Mickey!" he cried, placing a hand over his heart. "Must you wound me so?"

"Mr. Black, refrain from calling me that or your detentions shall double," I stated firmly, giving him a look. "Now, shall we proceed with this meeting?"

"We shall," he smirked, reverting to pureblood formalities. I had to fight to keep from rolling my eyes. "What shall be the nature of the discussion?"

"Your career path and how currently I doubt any employer would even consider you as a realistic option," I answered dryly. "Your attitude is not desirable and at the present moment I am disinclined to give you a good reference."

"That's low, Professor," he replied, dropping the act while sitting up straight and giving me a look of his own. "You know I put the effort in when I need to. The Auror Unit could use somebody like me. Besides, what would Prongs do without me?"

Aside from grow in maturity?

"Mr. Black, your grades are sufficient in all of the required courses to do well in the Auror Program," I admitted. "But your record is against you."

"No way, you didn't tell that to Prongs when he had his—"

"You have significantly more detentions than Mr. Potter," I interrupted before he could continue his defense.

He blinked at me in confusion and slumping back in the chair.

"I do?"

"Yes, Mr. Black," I sighed. "And while you have both been in many duels I'm afraid the ones that you get into are more…vicious."

"Hang on, Professor, I may like to have a good duel but I don't ever go in for it like that," he shook his head slowly. "Not unless they deserve it."

"Deserve it? Mr. Black, it is not up to you to make that sort of judgment."

"It's not like you ever do anything to stop them!" he snapped, glaring up at me. "Do you know how often those duels weren't started by me? It was always a Slytherin trying to have a go at Keena. Bella did that a lot, and so did Malfoy. Have a look at the records, but ever since she got her sight back my detentions from duels that I 'started' have dropped. I know, Moony keeps count," he folded his arms and gave me a look of challenge.

"If that was the case then why did you never say so?" I asked after a moment of silence between the two of us. "Something could have been done."

"Keena wouldn't've wanted special treatment," he answered after a moment of consideration. "Besides, I didn't want her to know that that was going on."

"She never realized?"

"Not that I know of," he answered with a shrug.

"I see," I said slowly. "Well, what do your parents think of that sort of behavior?"

He snorted and looked away from me, shaking his head.

"My parents are lunatics," he stated blandly. "It's people like them and like my cousins and my whole bloody family that make it necessary for Aurors to exist in the first place. I'm just trying to make up for what they botched up."

"Mr. Black, I hardly believe that is the case with your entire family," I said gently, noticing the sad acceptance in his eyes.

"Well…Uncle Alphard is alright," he conceded moodily. "I don't know any of the descent ones; mum would never stand for it if I tried to ask about any of them. Like my cousin Andy."

"Do you think you may duel for the attention, Mr. Black?" I suggested.

"I don't want any attention from _them_," he sneered before controlling his expression. "It's like I said, most of the time I only duel to protect people. Being an Auror would just make sense for me. Make it official so I get less detention."

"It will still not be up to you to decide who needs to be fought and when," I pointed out, noting mentally that I would have to double check his records to see if what he claimed was true.

"Minor technicality," he waved a dismissive hand and shook his head. "Point is I'll get to put the bad guys where they belong and rescue all the pretty girls," he winked at me.

"I don't suppose Ms. McIntosh is aware of that part of your intention?"

"Eh, you know her, she just rolls her eyes and tells me to sit down and finish my homework or get moving on a prank," he shrugged. "Besides, DIDs are too needy for me. I need a girl that can fend for herself; it's just a bonus that Keena can help defend me too."

"DIDs, Mr. Black?"

"Damsels in distress," he rolled his eyes. "So, are we done?"

"I believe we are, but please make sure that you at least put some effort into fixing your records?"

"You're not gonna try and talk me out of this?"

"Why should I do that, Mr. Black? You seem so very certain that it is what you want to do with your life."

"I dunno, Professor, I just thought you might have more to say on it than that. Moony and Prongs made it seem like you had heart to hearts. I feel left out."

"Very well, Black, what do you want to talk about?" I sighed, resisting the urge to roll my eyes again.

"Well we could talk about my girlfriend, but you already brought her up. I've already verbally abused my familial relations so that's all set. We've discussed my utter brilliance in the classroom as well as in the noble art of mischief making—"

"You mean trouble making," I corrected.

"Pah-tate-o, poh-tah-toe," he shrugged offhandedly playing with the word. "But didn't you like our latest work? It took loads of convincing to get Wormy to let us pull it while he was having his meeting with you. Worked out brilliantly, though, didn't it?"

"I hardly see how it was entertaining."

"But Mickey, we did it especially for you! Didn't you notice that we used a mix of Transfiguration and Charms? And it worked exactly right!"

He looked like he was actually expecting me to agree with him.

The worst part was, I actually did.

**That's the end of this one! Next up is Keena's turn then it'll be Lily in the hot seat so stay tuned!**

**:-D**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Keena

**I disclaim everything that is recognized as famous. **

**Alright so this is the first chapter with an OC. Bit of background that is necessary for the chapter; she was blind her first four years because she travelled 21 years to the past after being petrified for months, and she's originally from Harry's year, she lives with the Potters as James' foster sister and she's dating Sirius. To learn how/why, you'd need to read the main story, but for now that's all that's really necessary. **

**Thank you for the reviews!**

**Enjoy!**

Maybe it was because I had spent so long building it up in my mind, but Black and Potter's sessions were not as bad as I had feared. Pettigrew's was about where I had expected it to be, up until I had realized it was a distraction. Lupin's hadn't surprised me either, and ever since Horace had begun shooting me angry looks I knew I had gotten my way about the boy's grades.

Now, however, it was McIntosh's turn.

I flipped through her file slowly, thinking back to the day I had first met her. She had come to stay at the castle during the summer before her first year to adjust to being blind while Albus looked for a home for her. I knew before I even spoke to her that she belonged in my house. She'd forced herself to find her way to the Great Hall without any assistance from Poppy, insisting that she needed to relearn independence.

There was a knock on the door and I called for her to enter.

"Sorry, Mickey, I know I'm a bit late," she said as she ducked through the door, her loaded book bag dangling off of one shoulder.

I glanced at the clock.

"Actually you are right on time, Ms. McIntosh, so I shall pretend that you called me 'Professor' just this once," I answered giving her a warning look.

She gave me a half-smile, keeping eye contact with me while she bent down to grab something out of her bag.

"So I know that I'm supposed to have an idea of what it is I want to do after Hogwarts but I can't really think of anything," she said bluntly. "These are the brochures I looked at," she added, placing the stack of them down on my desk. "I asked the boys if any of them would help me go through them but," she shrugged, flipping her black hair over her shoulder, leaving the sentence to end there.

"So you decided that I was better suited for this work?" I eyed the stack of brochures warily. "Ms. McIntosh the point of this meeting is to make sure that you are on track with the appropriate grades so that you may pursue the career of your choice."

"I know," she nodded. "But since I don't know which grades I need to exclude, I couldn't really come up with a good selection."

"As far as standard courses go, I would avoid anything requiring Potions," I answered, giving in.

"Consider it done," she replied gladly, reaching forward and beginning to remove several brochures. "But that means being an Auror is out."

"It isn't as though you would be unable to get an E in Potions but I think you're talents would be better suited elsewhere. You're grades in Transfiguration are very good."

"Are you flattering me or yourself, Mick—Professor?" she grinned widely while I smirked.

"And you have indicated an interest in experimentation with certain spells in your essays. I've spoken to Professor Flitwick and he said that your work in that class reflects the same attitude."

"Magic is interesting," she shrugged. "It can do a lot of things and reverse almost everything it does. I mean, it was the reason I went blind but it's also the reason I can see again."

"Would that sort of research interest you?" I asked, trying to think about whether or not her application would interfere with Lupin's efforts.

"I mean…I like research and all, but I prefer to make the explosion."

I pursed my lips and studied her for a moment. Perhaps she was still unused to social situations, but she was staring straight back at me.

"Your nose is flaring, Mickey. What did I do?" she said finally, breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure, Ms. McIntosh, what did you do?" I replied. She cocked her head to the side. "You have always been a very capable witch. How many pranks did you pull that your foster brother took the fall for?"

"Well, since Moony said you can't punish us for revealing ourselves once September first has passed, I'll let you in on my secret," she smiled, leaning forward. "Probably at least half of the ones that you're thinking of," she grinned wider when I glared at her. "Never thought I'd miss having that look given to me."

"Are you warning me about some future event, Ms. McIntosh?" I suggested.

"I could be, but you don't know what my name is when I'm in my own time so…yeah. I s'pose I am," she grinned even wider when I shook my head. "But anyway, is there a job where I can do that? Just play around with spells and see if I can't uncover new ones at all?"

I frowned at her and looked through a few of the brochures before picking one up that was black with golden lettering. I lifted it up and handed it to her, watching as her eyes grew wide.

"The Department of Mysteries?" she breathed. "Isn't that impossible to get into without some sort of special recommendation?"

I nodded.

"They have many divisions, but the Spell Inventions division is the one that I would suggest to you. It's difficult to get into, but not impossible. You would need as many OWLs as possible, a few E's but mostly O's. If not, you would need straight O's for your NEWTs, but I think you are capable of getting the necessary OWLs."

"Even in Divination?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Ms. McIntosh, you are fully capable of making a false prophecy that would still have some truth in it, are you not?"

"I guess, but isn't that cheating? Besides, I don't want to take that anymore."

"Just because you achieve an OWL does not mean you need to continue on with a course."

"Is that frowned upon?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"No, it's expected. And Potions would not be something you needed to continue with either, if you truly didn't want it."

"They don't have a Potions Inventions division?"

"Not to my knowledge, but Unspeakables keep to themselves. We both know you keep secrets very well. I expect you won't have too much trouble if this is something you want."

She nodded and looked back down at the brochure that she held loosely in her hands.

"D'you think Mr. and Mrs. P would be alright with me doing this?" she asked quietly. "It doesn't sound like the safest job in the world."

"I'm sure your foster parents will be happy with whatever you choose," I replied crisply.

"James doesn't like it when I keep secrets," she pointed out, tracing the letters on the brochure. "Neither do Sirius or Remus."

"I doubt Mr. Pettigrew appreciates it either," I added when she failed to include him. "But we all must do things that we dislike at times."

"And what about when I need to disappear?" she pointed out, ignoring my last comment. "Maybe I'm just better off with a desk job until my time here is over with. I shouldn't be setting out to make a life for myself. It's wrong."

"Ms. McIntosh, we are still not sure of how your journey will end," I only knew this because I had already brought up these points to Albus myself, during her third year here when she had still been blind. "It would be better if you did not waste your time. Creating a life for yourself is the best course of action at the moment."

"Yeah, for the moment, but what about when the moment is over? I've only got what…" she paused and did some mental math. "Seventeen-ish years left? Then what?"

"We won't know until we get there, Ms. McIntosh. Until then, you need to be able to support yourself."

"Well I can't do that safely at the Ministry, now can I?" she said, tossing the brochure back onto my desk. "What else is available?"

I sighed but recognized the set of her jaw; it was the way she had looked the summer before her first year.

"You have a round knowledge of every traditional subject at Hogwarts. How would you feel about tutoring students over the holidays or on Hogsmede weekends?" she looked interested so I continued. "The pay would be humble, but if you were successful enough I'm sure I could speak to the Headmaster about making a permanent position for you here at the castle if necessary."

"While keeping me closer so he can keep watching over me?" she suggested lightly. "I like the tutoring thing, but I don't know about staying under someone else's roof," she shook her head and looked down at her bag. "I'll keep what you've said in mind, Professor," she said finally, standing up and adjusting her bag over her shoulder, turning to leave.

"Ms. McIntosh, here," I held out the Department of Mysteries brochure. "In case you change your mind; I think you could do very well there."

She took the brochure with a noncommittal shrug and left the office.

I waited a few minutes before standing and going over to my fireplace. Within a few moments it turned green and Albus' head was looking up at me.

"I gave it to her," I said, folding my arms. "Now tell me why it was so important."

**And now we are more than half way done with this little story! Part of the answer to McGonagall's question can be found in A Feeling or you could read the main series, it'll get kind of answered in the next chapter…whatever you decide! Next up is Lily's chapter!**

**:-D**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: Lily

**I disclaim everything that is recognized as famous. **

**Thank you for the reviews!**

**Enjoy!**

Finally I was done with the group of trouble makers. Albus hadn't exactly told me everything that was going on, which didn't surprise me. It did frustrate me, though. Apparently McIntosh was supposed to invent some sort of spell to counteract some other spell. It wasn't exactly a specific explanation.

But that wasn't the worst of it. He had now gone through the remaining files of my students and informed me that he believed I should suggest that Evans should join McIntosh in the same field. Albus was brilliant, but sometimes I think he put his nose where it didn't belong.

I regarded the note in front of me that sat on top of Evans' file for a long moment. There was a knock on my door. I snatched up the note and flicked my wand at it, turning it into a blank picture frame before I called for Evans to enter.

"Good evening, Professor," Evans smiled shutting the door behind her before sitting down.

"Good evening, Ms. Evans," I replied, feeling that this would be one of the least dramatic encounters. "Now this meeting is for you and me to discuss what career path you would like to choose and what OWLs you will need in order to get there. Have you given any thoughts to this?"

Of course she had, the girl was the second best in her class only to Lupin.

"Er…" she looked away from me, a blush rising in her face that counteracted with the shade of her hair.

"Ms. Evans, you do understand the importance of this meeting, don't you?" I asked, surprise coloring my tone.

"I do, Professor, really, but I couldn't think of anything that I wanted to do," she answered earnestly. "The only class that I have trouble in is DADA but that doesn't really bar me from too many courses! It's just something that I think I might need. And there are so many choices for people with O's in Potions that I can't possibly just choose one."

"Why do you feel that your DADA grade is inadequate?" I asked, frowning and looking to her file. "Oh my…"

"I just don't like the idea of a lot of those spells," she defended hurriedly. "I think they're awful so I try not to think about them."

"Which spells?"

"Spells like the Unforgivables. They're horrid, Professor, and people have used them on Muggles? It's not like they would have any backlash if they attacked a wizard," she added heatedly. "They're cowardly spells and they shouldn't even exist if there's no way to control them."

"What do you propose they do about it, Ms. Evans?" I asked warily. Perhaps Albus' suggestion wasn't needed at all. That worried me.

"Make some type of block on wands," she shrugged. "It must be possible to do. I'm sure there's a way to make a potion to coat the inside of the wands that doesn't interfere with the magic but doesn't allow certain kinds of magic to be used."

"Some would say that that would violate rights, Ms. Evans."

"Others would say that to torture a person is violating his rights, Professor," she answered with narrowed eyes.

"And what would you do with the wands that have already been finished?"

"As long as they knew that we were making such a potion I don't think anyone would bother trying it after some time," she shrugged. "It's the power of persuasion."

"So you would like to study wandlore, I take it?" she nodded enthusiastically. "Very well, Mr. Ollivander has on occasion allowed students to study with him after finishing Hogwarts. Grades are important, but he prefers someone with the enthusiasm and interest necessary to such a tricky subject. You will need to bring up your DADA grade, however."

Her face fell and she sighed.

"I think I can do that…I have an A right now, but I think I can try and get it up to an E by the end of the term."

"I have faith in you, Ms. Evans," I replied with a smile.

"Thanks Professor, it's nice to know that somebody does," she answered. Her voice said she was happy, but her lips trembled.

Is there a sign on my door reading guidance counselor?

"I doubt that there are many people who doubt you, Ms. Evans. It is often difficult for the parents of witches and wizards to understand how different our lives are," I said firmly. My father had never quite understood it that much is for certain.

"Oh, my parents are wonderful with the whole thing. They're actually quite proud of me for coming here and doing so well," she defended immediately. "It's just…my sister."

"She is a muggle?" I asked, not having known Evans even had a sister.

"Yes, she's only a year older than I am, but she's—she was my best friend growing up…she hates magic so much. I thought that maybe if I could find a way to make it so that it's harder for witches and wizards to hurt muggles…" she trailed off and looked away from me.

What was it about this batch of Gryffindors that made them want to protect everyone so much? Potter wanted to protect the world, Black wanted to keep his family at bay, Lupin wanted to be kept caged to some degree and McIntosh wanted to protect her friends from their futures. Now Evans wanted to keep the muggles safe?

"You believe that by making a way of monitoring magic, you will make muggles safer?" I suggested after I considered the idea for a moment. "Ms. Evans, that is a noble quest, but I fear that it may not mend your relationship with your sister."

"I have to try," she replied defiantly. "She's not all I have, but she's close enough."

"Well, as I told you, make sure to raise your DADA scores and you should be all set to head down this path. I am certain an E is all you will need to accomplish this goal and—"

I paused as the sounds of music began trailing in through my open window.

"Ms. Evans did you see anything out of order on your way to my office?" I asked icily.

"No, Professor," she answered, shaking her head slowly. "But I didn't see any of those five in the common room either…"

She trailed off as I stood up abruptly, sweeping around my desk and heading out of the door. The music was much louder in the corridors. The closer I got to the Great Hall, the louder the music grew. And the more irritated I became. I was now battling through a hoard of students, all rushing to find the source of the music most likely wanting to see the 'action' before the teachers shut it down.

"Move," I ordered a bunch of second year Hufflepuffs, who scattered away from the open door where students were trailing outside into the sunshine.

If the music had been loud inside of the castle, it was nothing to what it was outside. It blared from the direction of the lake and I marched through the crowd of students. Younger years leapt out of my way immediately. The older years, however, moved slowly, whether it was due to laughing or to not wanting the show to be over with, I preferred not to think about. When I finally arrived to see what it was that was so amusing this time I had to stop and stare.

There was a giant, glittering, silver ball hovering over the lake. It was spinning slowly, not at all in time with the singing, which was high-pitched, though I couldn't tell if it was a man or woman producing the noise. This was not the most disturbing part of the spectacle. No, the giant squid was what was holding the attention of the student body. It was directly beneath the spinning ball and it was waving half of its tentacles in the air in a strange motion, pointing them first to the sky and then down into the water at a slant and back up again.

"What is it doing?" I asked aloud, half-fearing and half-hoping that one of the nearby students could answer me.

"I think it's…doing the disco?" Emmeline Vance offered half-heartedly before succumbing to laughter once more.

_What in Merlin's name is 'the disco'…?_

**And that's the end of Lily's time! The next (and final) three chapters will deal with OCs, but rest assured that your favorites will return for fun and mischief! **

**:-D**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Nickie

**I disclaim all that is recognized as famous…**

**Enjoy!**

Five pranks. That's how many they had performed in the past three days. Seven, if you count the two that they did during Pettigrew's and Evans' meetings. I had only been able to prove three out of the seven, but I knew. What was worse was that they all knew that I knew. Beyond that, they knew that I knew that they knew that I knew that I couldn't do anything about it. Innocent until proven guilty, that's what Albus always told us in the staff meetings. Usually I agreed, but with these five…

I shook my head and focused on Dale's file in front of me. Her best class was Astronomy, but the only class she struggled in was Transfiguration. If she would just come in and ask for help, she would be fine. But I digress.

A knock on my door sounded and I glanced at my clock as I called for her to enter. She was five minutes late. I looked up at her, about to ask why she was late, when I noticed that she was wearing her Quidditch uniform.

"Ms. Dale," I nodded as she came into the room.

"Hey Professor," she grinned, reaching up and brushing her dyed bangs out of her face. This month's colors were teal and purple. "So Lily and Keena told me this is like a counseling session? That's pretty cool. How come you wait until fifth year to do that for?"

"This is not that type of counseling session, Ms. Dale, we are here to discuss the career path that you would like to pursue," I answered patiently.

"Bummer, I was looking forward to unloading all of Orion's family problems onto someone else's shoulders," she shook her head. "See, I can't talk to Keena about it because Sirius deals with worse than Orion. Lexi tries to understand it but she's still into dating different people every other week. Lily is so confused about her own boy issues I don't want to talk to her about mine and Amanda…I just don't talk to her like that," she shrugged, grinning at me when I sighed and brought a hand to my forehead.

"While I am sure Mr. Black and Mr. Black have their own issues, they do not have to do with this meeting, Ms. Dale," I said tiredly. "If you are truly concerned I suggest you make an appointment with me at a later date."

"Why not just let me hit two birds with one stone?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

I groaned.

"C'mon, Professor, I really want to talk to someone about this and I'm sure you've got the experience with boys by now!" she shut her mouth abruptly and turned bright red as I gave her a look. "Or we could talk about my career path," she said quickly, her voice going up an octave.

She had been hanging around Mr. Black - er, _Orion_ Black, that is - for far too long; Ravenclaws tended to overanalyze more than Gryffindors.

"What career are you interested in after school, Ms. Dale?" I asked instead of commenting on her Ravenclaw boyfriend.

"I want to be an Auror," she said with a shrug. "Mum doesn't like it, she thinks I should be what she is; a stay-at-home witch. I'm not okay with that. I need action and something to drive me. I love being outside and I love learning in DADA. I know Astronomy is my best subject, but it's not my favorite."

"You're grades in DADA are sufficient for this, as is your work in Potions. However, I am concerned about your Transfiguration, Ms. Dale. It often leaves much to be desired," I looked at her over my glasses.

"It's so hard, though, Professor," she leaned forward. "Changing one little syllable messes up the entire spell and turns it into something else entirely! It's so frustrating! I study with note cards and even that doesn't work right every time."

"Have you ever considered getting outside assistance? I am available for—"

"Professor, come on, you know I ask the same question over and over in class!" she shook her head vigorously. "It just doesn't stick."

I didn't say anything right away. She was right, after all. She would ask the same question multiple times and still not understand the point. Perhaps what was needed was a tutor, someone to explain to her where she was going wrong. As the thought crossed my mind, I realized that the other Gryffindors I had seen so far would benefit from similar teaching.

"I am sure that there is someone who can help you, Ms. Dale. Do not panic," I soothed, glancing down at her file again. "Do you have any other careers that you are interested in?"

"Nope, all action or nothing," she answered, shaking her head. "Can we talk about Orion now?"

Before I had time to come up with a decent excuse, there was a hurried knock on my door. I frowned as the door opened and Frank Longbottom entered looking harried.

"Professor, it's blocking the Great Hall," he panted. "It's huge!"

"What is it?" I asked, standing up and following him out into the corridor, Dale following us quickly.

"It's a, er," he paused his running and frowned at me. "Well, I think you'll need to see it for yourself."

I frowned at him and hastened my step.

We were nearly to the Great Hall when Filius came hurrying up to us.

"Minerva! Thank goodness, I was just coming to get you!" he squeaked. Why the teachers always elected Filius to run and get help was beyond me. It wasn't as though he was the fastest choice. "If Albus' office were closer we might have gone to retrieve him first, but here you are!" he twittered on, jogging to keep pace with me, Longbottom and Dale.

"What is it we are dealing with exactly, Filius?" I asked briskly, glancing down at him.

"It's…er…" he failed to elaborate and I controlled the urge to roll my eyes at the tiny professor. "You'll see it in a moment," he finished finally.

"Do you have an idea as to who the culprit is?" I asked instead, though I already knew who had done it.

"We think it was one of those five again, though you'll be able to tell us which of them has the ability to pull this off," he answered. "It appears that it was done on a few students."

"There are more now?" Longbottom asked, his eyes widening.

"There are at least three…" Filius trailed off as we entered the Great Hall. "Perhaps I miscounted."

In the Great Hall, making great and horrible squawking noises, were thirty human-sized platypuses.

"Whoa," Dale sighed, looking around. "How did they do it?"

"We think it was a time-delayed growth potion in random jugs of pumpkin juice," Horace answered, coming forward from the crowd of teachers trying to keep the platypus-students calm. "Mixed with someone performing the actual spells for transfiguring the students," he added.

"Do you know which students it could have been?" Filius piped up. "One who is particularly good at Potions out of their group and one who leans towards Transfiguration?"

I sighed and shook my head.

"It could be any combination of those four."

Pettigrew was obviously safe for now.

"Well do you think you can change them back?" Horace's voice carried and the squawking stopped as they all waited for my answer.

I thought it over for a moment. Considering that they were now human-sized when they should be only the size of a platypus, if I tried to transform them back to their original human state they would all be at least twice as large. Some of these students, depending on who they were, would end up larger than Hagrid.

"Is there an antidote for this potion?" I asked out loud.

He winced. "It'll take some time to brew; the effects of the dose they've been given will likely ware off first."

I sighed and two or three squawks rang out around the room.

"I'm afraid it will have to wait."

If anything, the squawking was louder than before I had entered.

**That's the end of this chapter! Next comes another OC. I hope you enjoyed this prank, but there's still two more to come! Until then! **

**:-D**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Amanda

**I disclaim all that is recognized as being famous. **

**Thank you all for the reviews! Enjoy!**

The knock on my door sounded and the four of them looked up from their lines.

"Does that mean we get to leave now?" Black asked before I had a chance to call for Jones to enter.

"No, Black, the four of you will finish your detention first," I answered.

"But Mickey, I thought these meetings were private?" Potter seconded, cocking his head to the side. "We wouldn't want to impose."

_No, of course you wouldn't... _

It turned out that their last prank had been randomized. Each of the four house tables had been given jugs of pumpkin juice laced with the time-delayed growth potion. The trouble-makers had identified those students who would grow by the rate at which their hair grew, which the delay had not impacted. McIntosh and Potter had been in charge of transfiguring the students while Black and Lupin had created the potion. Pettigrew, fortunately for him, had accidently drank some of the infected pumpkin juice and had been turned into a platypus by McIntosh before she had realized it was him. Or so she said. As a result, Pettigrew had avoided his detention.

"I will put up a privacy shield, Potter, but thank you for your concern," I replied before calling for Jones to enter.

There was no way I was letting those four out of my sight for one minute.

Jones entered the room and looked around at the sight of her housemates. She smiled slightly and rolled her eyes when Potter and Black waved at her cheekily.

"Professor, if this is a bad time, I don't mind coming back later," she offered, adjusting the shoulder strap of her bag.

"Thank you Ms. Jones, but it won't be a problem," I answered, lifting my wand and with a flick of my wrist a translucent shield rose between Jones and myself and the four troublemakers. "Now, you are here today to discuss what you may enjoy as a career following your graduation from Hogwarts. This meeting is very important, but it does not define nor limit what you may become after your schooling here has ended. Have you given any thought on what you may wish to do?"

"Well, I like helping people, but I'm not any good at dueling or anything like that," she admitted. "Lily and I were talking about it and I think I might like Healing. I know it's a lot of studying but…" she paused and I nodded for her to continue. "It's just everyone is talking about this war and suddenly everyone wants to be an Auror. That's all well and good, but an Auror can't heal you or anything. What good is it saving these people if we don't have enough Healers?"

Merlin's grave, why did everyone in my house think it was up to them to save the world?

"And I should be able to handle the workload, the only class I have real trouble in is Astronomy and who actually uses that anyway?" she added, trying to justify her choice to me.

"I think you would do well as a Healer, Ms. Jones," I said over her as she went to continue.

"Really? Mum thinks it's a good idea but dad doesn't think I can handle the pressure. I don't know why," she admitted sadly. "Though he was let down when I didn't end up in Ravenclaw."

"Was your father in that house?" I asked, frowning when she nodded. "Then he should have the intelligence to know that a Gryffindor is simply a Ravenclaw willing to use their wisdom in order to help others in ways that some refuse to do."

Perhaps I should have felt bad for attacking the girl's father, but I would be damned if my Gryffindors were told that they were not intelligent.

"What does your mother think of the house you are in?"

"She's a muggle; she doesn't care," Jones replied with a shrug, brushing her long brown hair behind one ear. "Dad's never outright said it either, I just know. Mum, though…it can get hard on her too. She doesn't always get why dad and I do things the way we do. When I started showing magic, she cried."

I felt my mouth thin into a stern line as she looked away from me. I knew exactly what this girl was going through. My own mother had tried to hide things from my muggle father but I had never felt right about it. And I knew that I never would.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Jones," I said stiffly and she raised her blue eyes to meet mine. "I wish I could tell you that it won't always be this way, but it depends very heavily upon the person. There are many half-bloods who suffer the same situation."

"I know," she murmured. "I think it's why mum was so pleased when I told her what I'd like to do. It's normal to her, me becoming a Healer, and she can tell her friends that I'm going to be a doctor if she wants. They do basically the same thing anyway."

I smiled at her and nodded and she gave me a small smile back.

"Well, you will need to continue on in all of the main courses. You'll be glad to know that you do not need Astronomy, but I would recommend studying hard for the OWLs just the same," I ordered, leaning forward to mark something down in her file. "You shall also need some background in Ancient Runes, to help you with curses, as well as an O for your NEWTs in Potions, Transfiguration, Charms and it would not hurt to have an O in Care of…Magical…" I frowned and trailed off as a knock sounded on my door. "Come in," I called sternly after a glance over at the four hooligans, though they were still writing lines.

"Sorry to bother you, Professor," Filch began before he was even all the way through the door. "But the headmaster requested your presence immediately. He's out on the grounds in front of the castle."

I sighed and stood up. "Stay with those four, Filch, do not let them out of your sight," I ordered before marching out of my office. "Ms. Jones, you are welcome to follow," I added, noticing her expression of curiosity. If it were something truly dangerous, he would not have sent Filch of all people to fetch me.

The halls were eerily quiet and I had a sneaking suspicion that the students had all made their way outside. The portraits were even silent as I made my way to the oak doors. Jones didn't say a word as I pushed them open and found that all of the students were out front, gazing back at me, along with most of the staff. They were totally silent.

"Over here, Minerva!" I heard Albus call and I spotted him in the back, waving me towards him.

I didn't look back to see what they were looking at as I made my way through the crowd. I didn't really want to know what was going on at this point. I reached Albus, but he merely pointed behind me at the school.

In giant shining letters, a message hung above the doors reading _Please Ask All Important Staff Members and Students to Come Stand Here, I Shall Then Be Triggered By a Special Phrase_.

"Well, what now, Albus?" I asked, turning to look at him.

The words had hardly left my mouth when the entire crowd gasped and it wasn't much longer after the shock wore off before the students began laughing. A few of the teachers turned away, sniggering, but I glared up at the display. I heard a chuckle beside me and I gave Albus a sharp look. When he saw my face he cleared his throat and looked away.

I huffed and looked back up at the castle.

There was a huge, enlarged photograph of a group of platypuses doing what I had learned to be the 'disco' and somehow they had managed to get the giant squid to do it again in the center of the lake in the background. Beneath the photograph was another message reading _We Hope You Enjoy These Fruits of Our Labor, With Love, the Marauders_.

They had the audacity to sign their own work.

Now I was really going to make them pay.

**Sorry for the wait! But next is the final chapter of the story with just one more prank out of the Marauders! Thanks again for the reviews!**

**:-D**


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